Sunday, 31 October 2010

I hadn't intended to buy the Extravagant Gold eye shadow palette (£34), I was only going to have an innocent look, however they had no testers out when it was launched, and I simply mentioned to the SA that I thought it was bad especially as the same thing happened with the fall collection, she said she would get one out especially for me. I was then in the awkward situation whereby she had done me a favor but it was likely I was not going to buy it. As I stood there swatching this extremely warm toned palette something happened...all sense left me and I started to believe that although I am cool toned I would be able to pull off all these yellow/golden/copper hues.The shadows are very smooth, creamy and pigmented. You get 4 shimmery colours:yellow gold, warm brown, copper, golden ivory highlighter and a matte neutral brown. All these colours combined look a bit off on me, I'm just too cool toned for this to work. I do however still rate this palette, the texture and wear is very impressive and the colours are really rich.I've used them all together here for you in two looks (honestly in real life they did look quite different but its not translated well in the photos) I have blended over the shades to sheer them out so the warmth is less intense.I also bought one of the new glosses in the shade Star Ruby (£16). It looks really pretty in the tube, and I have taken a close up for you. However, applied its a very sheer strawberry with micro glitter and I was expecting something more pigmented.Its a bit sticky/tacky but just about wearable for me.Overall,I continue to be impressed with the improvement of the shadows since Tom Pecheux has become the creative director and look forward to future releases.

Friday, 29 October 2010

Soon after buying two of the new Hourglass Femme Rouge lipsticks I was already contemplating what other shades I "had" to get. I decided on Fresco (£22) and as Zuneta were still doing the buy two or more Hourglass products and receive a free Adorn lipstick, it would have been wrong not to get something else. I was all set to put shade Edition in my basket then noticed that they now stocked the brushes so went for the No. 4 Crease Brush (£22) instead.The lipstick has good pigmentation, feels creamy and quite moisturising and applies really smooth. I have tried a lot of rose colours that are either:too warm,too pink,too red or too brown, but this is just right and gives a beautiful dewy non shimmered rose lip.The crease brush is made of synthetic fibers. It feels very soft and where it excels is when using a darker crease shade as it blends the colour extremely well. It applies to the contours precisely and is quite a fool proof brush I think.My only slight issue is that it is a bit lose in the barrel so I hope it doesn't one day fling off!Now the Adorn lipstick I got as part of the promo is the shade Icon, when I opened the tube and looked at this no holds barred red I felt a bit scared and when I tried it on I felt terrified! This is not just the reddest red I have come across but is also very bright, it really makes me think of a snow white lip shade. The colour is really pretty but there is no way I can pull this off, I tried using it with a bit of a gloss to tone it down but its so pigment rich it didn't work, definitely one for those who like a bold lip.Swatches below, don't think I'll need to tell you which one is which :)I think the Buy two products and receive a free Adorn lipstick is still on and I am tempted as I really want to get Edition femme rouge but I have a feeling the promo may not last that much longer so grab it while you can, and if you end up with Icon as your free shade let me know how you make it work for you!

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

I received a Le Metier De Beaute eyeliner pencil as part of a Liberty GWP. Typically I do not get on with the majority of pencil liners as I can find they drag, irritate my sensitive eyes or apply patchy.With my first use I was extremely impressed, I get a pigmented colour that applies smoothly with no tugging.This is the liner after over 9 hours wear and I think it has lasted wellThe shade I have is called Sequoia and is a dark brown with no red undertones.Le Metier de Beaute has recently launched at Selfridges and on their website. I'm extremely pleased by this as I was forever checking the liberty website to see if they would add to their collection and I am glad to see that the Selfridges site stocks quite a lot of the items that were currently not available. I have begun to write a very long list of wants.To celebrate the launch, Selfridges Oxford Street have these in store events from the 29th October to the 4th November only, I really wished I lived in London so for now I'll just have to be jealous of those of you able to get to the counter and grab these great deals, here is the information:

Friday 29th October – Flawless Foundation

Create the perfect base and glow with immaculate skin. The first 5 customers to quote ‘Flawless Foundation’ at the counter will receive a complimentary Blonzer.

Saturday 30th October – Treat Yourself

Discover Peau Vierge and the first 5 customers to quote ‘Peau Vierge’ at the counter will receive a complimentary Peau Vierge Anti-Ageing Correcteur.

Sunday 31st October – Perfect Lips

Perfect your pout with luscious glosses and lip sticks. The first 5 customers to quote ‘Perfect Lips’ at the counter will receive a complimentary limited edition Sheer Brilliance in Turkish Smoke (not available at retail).

Monday 1st November – Couche de Couleur

Learn the Le Métier de Beauté signature smoky eye. The first 5 customers to quote ‘Couche de Couleur’ at the counter will receive a complimentary Precision Liquid Liner in Noir.

Tuesday 2nd November – The Finale

Attend a master class with Mikey Castillo to create your signature look. The first 5 customers to book in and attend will receive a goody bag including the coveted Precision Liquid Liner, Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss, Blonzer in Maldives Magic and the versatile Dualistic Lip Liner in Rose.

Sunday, 24 October 2010

I'd bought one Phyto lip shine before and whilst I did like the formula and colour it didn't become a favourite. You may then wonder why I have since bought two more...I bought shade #10 Toffee when I picked up the winter Sparkling Rhapsody quad as it was displayed with the Autumn/Winter collection.I thought the colour different and complex, indeed its not something I have in my collection, its a copper tinged brown, but don't be put off by the darkness in the tube, it applies sheer (like all the lip shines do) so a bit of your lip colour comes through.The next shade #4 Rosewood, I picked up in order to qualify for a GWP and I thought this would be a useful shade to have, its a slightly warm pink/rose.Both shades have a glossy sheen to them rather than noticeable shimmer.The Lip Shine's have a light weight texture and although not my most moisturising lipstick they are not drying and lips are left feeling quite smooth and soft.They cost me £25 each which compared to a lot of other Sisley products I think is a good price.

Friday, 22 October 2010

Living Proof is a haircare range that contains "anti-frizz technology " without silicones and asserts it will eliminate frizzy hair by blocking humidity without weighing hair down. So what exactly is this "anti-frizz technology " ?Apparently its the discovery of the PolyfluoroEster molecule. This molecule's formulation "adheres tightly to the hair, which allows for long-lasting moisture resistance and rebalancing of the hair fiber’s interaction with the atmosphere, even after extreme humidity". I read this as it coats the hair to block out humidityI bought the No Frizz Shampoo (£18), in terms of performance this shampoo left my hair soft, smooth and it definitely made it almost frizz free, even in damp weather. It does not contains laureth or lauryl sulfates and I got no irritation or dryness (I have a very sensitive scalp).Here are the ingredients, you can enlarge the pic but as its not a flat surface it might be somewhat annoying to read!Having used up a whole bottle, I will not be re-buying this. Although the ability to fight frizz was extremely impressive I felt like my hair was being coasted each time, and it felt weighed down and looked a bit lank. Ultimately I think this would be great if you have thick/unruly hair but for me I've gone back to my Shu Uemura Art of Hair.

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Although I am pretty much out of my somewhat short, but very expensive Dior phase, I do like to keep an eye on the brands releases and do still pick up a few items here and there. There was no testers out for the holiday sets, however having bought them in the past I knew the pictures of the back of the packaging would be a good representation.This palette (£35) contains a deep gunmetal , matte smoky brown, shimmery/frosty silver taupe and sheer shimmery/frosty pink. This is a very cool toned palette.On my first use I remember the main reason I went off Dior shadows and that is the frostiness of the iridescent shades. That is not to say that the colours are not richly pigmented and really rather pretty, but just that I do have trouble pulling off such a frosty look and am not keen on the finished result.I have not tried their new line of single shades and had assumed this would be made up of the newer shades, however it contains the following shades, #071, #676, iridescent #752 and #822, which I think maybe from the old line up ? If there is a Dior expert out there I would be interested to know.I am looking forward to the release of their main holiday collection as I have my eye on the Czarina Gold nail varnish which looks stunning, http://www.thebeautylookbook.com/2010/10/dior-holiday-2010-endless-shine.html

Sunday, 17 October 2010

Unlike a lot of highlighters out there, RBR love lights do not posses a overly shimmery finish nor sheen, instead you get a soft radiance/glow. The texture is beautifully smooth and extremely light weight.It comes in two shades and I bought Sweet to touch (£41) which is a baby pink with a soft golden glow. I use this with a powder brush all over my face to give a veil of radiance, or use it with a denser brush as a natural/subtle golden pink highlight on cheeks and around the outside eye area. This is subtle so don't expect heavy colour payoff, but I do notice the difference when I don't wear it.Its also come in handy when I have been feeling/looking not so well and this instantly perks up my face in a natural glow sort of way. I would love to pick up the other shade, Goddess, at some point as that it described as a "rosy amber with a golden glow" sounds very enticing.Here are the ingredients:TALC, MICA, DIMETHICONE, ZEA MAYS, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, SILICA, OCTYLDODECYL LACTATE, POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, ZEOLITE, ZINC STEARATE, SORBIC ACID,METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, TETRASODIUM EDTA, BUTYLPARABEN, BHT, PANAX GINSENG. +/- : CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007, CI 75470, CI 77742, CI 77510, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77163, CI15850, CI 73360, CI 19140, CI 15985, CI 42090.

After my post about the gorgeous Abyssinian Catbird I did say I would post an eye look with it, so here is is: I've used it all over the lid with Bejewelled Skylark in the outer area and crease and Sleeping under a mandarin tree as the inner highlight.

Friday, 15 October 2010

No doubt you will have seen the many rave reviews of this duo and the colours are indeed beautiful.The duo contains an interesting combination of a warm golden sandy beige with an almost metallic edge and a cool toned deep smoky blue with a hint of teal. Both shades are quite complex and I do not have comparable shades. They are pigmented and the texture is soft and creamy. I should love this, but I don't. When I put it on and then look in the mirror I feel slightly let down as the colours don't seem to do much for me.Some of the vibrancy and complexity seems to be lost from how they are in the pan/swatched to how they apply and I wonder that the Tzarine duo might have been a better choice for me ?

Wednesday, 13 October 2010

Chanel recently released a mini collection of their new lip gloss formula (Extrait de Gloss), 3 nail polishes and some more Rouge Allure lipstick shades.The gloss has a flocked wedged shaped applicator that it a bit springy. It applies the products really well and is good for getting into the corners. Although the texture is quite thick it doesn't feel particular heavy on and has an almost gel like feel and applies very smooth. I do find it a bit more sticky/tacky than I would prefer and this is the only reason I would be hesitant to buy more.

I bought shades (£22.50 each) in #55 Confidence (neutral medium pink/rose) and #56 Imaginaire (pinky/peach), neither shade is shimmery as such, just a high gloss/shine finish.Swatches L-R: RA in Confidentielle, Confidence, Imaginaire On the face of it the colour sounds very dupable, however I 'm not sure if its to do with the finish but the high gloss and clarity of colour makes these that little bit special.The collection has some really nice reds, pinks and nudes with a coral thrown in. I think all of them are meant to be permanent apart from Confidence. I also bought one of the new Rouge Allure lipstick shades in #66 Confidentielle (£22.50). It is a neutral pink that has a little bit of brightness to it and has almost a slight frost in the finish. I quite like the RA formula, its creamy and long lasting although not that lightweight nor particular moisturising but nevertheless a good standard.

Sunday, 10 October 2010

I'm not entirely sure of the thought process I went through when I picked up the Sparkle Glamour quad (£30), I wasn't expecting to see the holiday collection so early and had not yet seen any reviews so did a "this looks nice and shiny" panic buy.The quad consists of four new shades of sparkle shadows; Pink Glitter, Smoky, Moonlight and Sandy. I'm not sure which shade is which but it contains a champagne, beige, brown and dark grey/ brown. The shades have quite good pigmentation compared to the other sparkle shades from BB I have tried but you do need to press the shadows on rather than sweep. The palette has a little gold overlay around the edges of the shades.Here is how it looks after being used a bitIf you are not familiar with my cosmetics likes I will tell you now that I am not really a fan of over the top sparkle nor glitter and these are chocked full of it (again I reiterate I don't know why I bought this) .I do quite like the finished look, and it does give a nice sparkle smokey look and I can see it would be nice layered over other shadows.Unfortunately I get massive fall out with this. I usually do my eye make up first, cleanse my face then do the rest of my makeup but I still end up with glitter everywhere. The worse thing for me was that yesterday I wore it for a longer period (over 6 hours) and I don't know if its because I wear contacts, but I must have got some in my eyes and it was extremely painful, I had to take contacts out and get all the makeup off but my eyes still feel irritated now, I have had glitter from some of UD's more glitter shadows go in my eyes before but have never had this much irritation. It was painful enough that I will definitely not be using these dry again, when my eyes feel better I will try using it again over a cream base to see if its gets the glitter to stick to it.So not my best move, I think if you do like sparkle and neutral shades, this would be really nice but I would say to use a cream base with them as I wouldn't want you to go through the eye irritation I got.What I should have got instead was the Modern Classic Lip and Eye Palette palette. Sabrina did a lovely review here http://www.thebeautylookbook.com/2010/09/bobbi-brown-holiday-modern-classic-lip.html and Pretty Addicted! did a really helpful review here, http://prettyaddictedblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/preview-bobbi-brown-modern-classic-lip.html

Friday, 8 October 2010

After not being wowed by new lipstick formula's being put out recently (Clarins Rouge Prodige, YSL Rouge Pur Couture, Rouge Dior) I had high hopes for the Hourglass Femme Rouge lipsticks.These lipsticks deliver. They have great pigmentation, feel creamy and moisturising (the darker shade slightly less creamy due to the level of pigment). They apply really smooth and don't accentuate lines in your lips and they last quite well.These made my lips feel really soft so I think these are going to really good for winter when you need that extra hydration.I was so eager to open these that I managed to squish the ends of them when opening them so that's why the tips look a bit odd!The lipsticks come housed in a heavy bronzed metal tube and are also refillable and paraben free. They do seem to have a very faint scent.Of the 12 shades available, I bought Whisper (gentle pink with a bit of beige, and silver shimmer) and Nocturnal (reasonably bright wine plum), priced at £22 each.Swatches below: Nocturnal, Whisper, and Adorn lipstick in Poetry.Zuneta have an offer on whereby if you buy two Hourglass products you receive a free Adorn lipstick ( these are very nice, very long lasting with great pigmentation). Zu picked out Poetry for me and it is a extremely wearable beige nude with some peach to it. I don't know when the offer finishes, but I think its a really good one.Hourglass have some really impressive products and I definitely think they are a brand to watch out for.http://www.zuneta.com/

Wednesday, 6 October 2010

Having been impressed with the improvement of performance/quality with the new singles shadows created under Tom Pecheux, I picked up the Blue Dahlia eyeshadow palette (£34).It contains a teal, shimmery taupe, deep smoky navy with shimmer, sheer white base with sparkle, matte black.Swatches below: far left is the sheer white, I wasn't kidding when I said sheer.Its a good all round palette, the white sparkle shade could have done with some pigment, but overall pigment, blendability and wear of the palette is really good, you can get quite a few looks with this and for those who don't usually go for brighter shades the blue and teals are extremely wearable.I also bought the pure colour gloss stick in Rose Dusk (£17), its a neutral pink, not really unique and feels slightly tacky.Sadly its no longer with us as my little Boy destroyed it in outrage as I deigned to attempt to give him a haircut, so this picture is all I have left, and everytime I look at my boys lop sided bowl cut, I will be reminded of this lipstick....

Sunday, 3 October 2010

Each shade embossed with the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Chantecaille Tiger in the Wild palette is extremely impressive to look at.The over spray makes the colours look more intense, once worn off (after a few uses) you get a gently shimmered ivory/beige, grey/taupe with subtle shimmer, deep matte indigo and coral pink blush.On the base of it the colours look almost basic in the pan but the combination works perfectly. There is a certain glow with the base and shadow shade. The indigo used in the crease and as a liner has a deep smokey almost inky look to it but its not harsh and adds a different slant to the overall look. The coral pink blush gives a really healthy bright pop to the skin.As always the shadows are smooth and blend well, Sometimes I have found Chantecaille shadows to not have much colour pay off and blend away too much, but its not the case with these.The blush has good pigmented and lasts very well, here are the ingredientsCorn starch always tends to make me itchy with one use and then break out with continued wear them but I have always be able to wear Chantecaille blushers.Swatches:Priced at £73, in terms of Chantecaille prices I think this is quite good, as their eyeshadows/blushers cost £23 each and the palette is reusable ( I remember I did a phone order and was somewhat horrified when I read the bill and the empty 8 pan palette was £42).As with a lot of the limited editions that Chantecaille bring out some of the profit benefits animals, for this one 5% of the proceeds go to TRAFFIC (the international wildlife trade monitoring organisation).I think its a beautiful palette and dare I say one of my favourites. I went through quite a massive Chantecaille phase when it was first available over here and since they have always dipped in and out of the brand, I do always look forward to their new releases and am very much looking forward to the Hydra Chic Lipsticks which are meant to be a full-impact formula which gives 6 hours wear.